Mine trap-door



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H KEYES MINE TRAP DOOR.

Patented Jan. 22 1895.

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MINE TRAP DOOR.

N0.532,882. 2 Pat med Jan. 2,1895.

(No Model.) a Sheets-Sheet 3.

HQKEYES. MINE TRAP DOOR.

No. 532,882. Patented Jan. 22, 1895.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICEt HORATIO KEYES, OF TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA.

MINE TRAP-DOOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters 1atent No, 532,882, dated January 22, 1895.

Application filed October 31. 1894:. Serial No. 527,537- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORATIO KEYES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Terre IIaute,in the county of Vigo and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mine Trap-Doors; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to' make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in mine trap doors, and more particularly to one which is adapted to out 01f or control air currents in the different entries of a mine, and which is automatically opened on the approach of a car or cars, andolosed immediately after such car or cars have passed through it.

The object is to provide such a door that will be simple and cheap in construction, will take up little room in the entry, and one in which the walls of the mine are not required to be out into for the reception of any part of the door, and one whose operating mechanism takes up but little space in the entry on each side of the door, and at the side of the track.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mine trap door embodying my im-' provements, the door being closed. Fig. 2 is a similar view, the operating mechanism on one side of the door being broken away and the door being opened. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view through the rail and pressure strip showing a trip arm in elevation, and its con-' nection to such pressure strip. Fig. 4 is a 'detail perspective view showing the spring for closing the door. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view, slightly enlarged, of the lever which connects the pressure strip with the door and operates the latter on the movement of the pressure strip. Fig. 6 is a plan view showing a slightly modified form of mechanism connecting the door with the operating. trips; Fig. 7 is a plan view of still another modified form of mechanism connecting the door with the trips.

In the drawings, where the same figures of reference refer to the same or similar parts,

7 the track 2, in the entry of a mine.

1 represents a door frame supported across The door itself is, in the present instance, double, one half being hinged at each side of the'track to the frame 1, and a horizontal angular piece 3, being secured to the top of each door, 4; and 5, such doors when closed, standing at an angle to each other across the track, the side on which the doors close being in the direction from which the draft comes, so that should the draft have any eifect on the doors, it would be to hold them more securely closed. The doors, 4 and 5 are connected together by the horizontal arms 6, one of these arms being secured rigidly to the upper angular projection or piece 3, on eaohdoor, and the outer ends of the arms are pivotally connected together, so that upon the opening or closing of the door, to which the operating mechanism is connected, the other door will be similarly operated.

7 is an angular piece which is secured to a cross tie between the rails and closes the space between the ground and the bottom of the doors.

Set at a suitable distance on each side of the door, (I have found from ten to fifteen feet preferable,) and to one side of the track, are trip arms 8, these being pivoted to brackets 9, secured to the cross ties and the trip arms extend slightlyupwardfrom theirbrackets over the nearest rail so as to be in the path of passing cars, the trip arms in their normal position when the doors are closed lying at right angles to the track.

10 is a link connected to each trip arm, and

these links 10, are in turn pivoted to brackets or projecting arms 11, formed on or rigidly secured to and near the ends of a flat strip or plate 12, which rests on the rail nearest the trip arms. The strip or plate 12, is wider than the tread of. the rail and overhangs such rail on the side from which it is carried, and 13 are guides secured to the ties at any desired distance apart to assist in holding the strip 12, in line with the rail.

14 is a projecting plate formed on the strip 12, on the side of the door frame, on which the doors open, and 15 is an angular guide secured to or formed on the plate 14.

16 is a bracket secured to the side of the door frame 1, and 17 is an upright lever pivoted below its center to such bracket. The lower end of such lever has thereon a friction wheel 18, which works in the guide 15, and its upper end has pivoted thereto a link 19, in turn pivoted to the door.

20 is a projection or plate formed on the strip 12, in line with the door frame, and provided with a slot 21, for the reception of a flat spring 22, which is suitably secured to the inside of the door, and the object of which is to clllo'se the doors after a car has passed through t em.

The operation of the door just described,

same time the strip 12, as it shifts, carries with it the guide plate 15, and moves such plate parallel with the rails. The shifting of the guide plate 15, causes one of its angular "guides to bear against the roller 18, on the lower end of the lever 17, from the outside, causing such lower end of the lever to be turned inward, and throwing the upper end of such lever outward and through link 19, opening the door 4, which, through the pivoted arms 6, opens the other door 5. At about the time that the trip arm 8, has been moved to open the doors fully, the first car wheel on the side of the track with the pressure strip 12, rolls on such strip, and the weight of the car or cars thereafter holds such strip down on the rail, and the several parts of the operating mechanism in the position shown in Fig. 2, and the doors open until the cars have entirely passed through the doors. When the last car is ofi of the pressure strip 12, the flat spring 22, which has been bent outward by the moving of the pressure strip 12, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, will exert its strength and close the doors, as shown in Fig. 1, and upon a car or cars passing through the doors from either direction, the same operation will again be repeated.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6, the construction and operation of the doors and trips are precisely the same as in the one just described, the only difference being in the connections between the two, and this is in principle the same as the first. For opening the doors when a car approaches from the left, the plate or bracket 14., is provided with a projection 23, which when the pressure strip 12, is moved bears against a projecting arm 24, secured to the door, 4, at or near its hinged point, and thereby opens such door and also the door 5, in the first case. Upon the approach of a car from the right, the doors are operated by a pin or projection 25, connected with a bracket, 26, on the side of the pressure strip 12; this projection upon the shifting of the pressure strip 12, bearing upon one end of a bell crank lever 27, pivoted to a bracket 28, on one side of the door frame, moving such bell crank lever and throwing its long arm outward, and such arm being connected to the door 4, by a link 29, the doors will be immediately opened. The closing of the doors in this case, after the passage of the cars, is effected by the flat spring 22, precisely as in the first case.

In the second modification shown in Fig. 7, the principle is the same as that previously described, only it is applied in a slightly different manner. A bar 30, is pivotally connected with the brackets of the pressure strip, at their pivotal points, and extends just to one side of the door frame 1, and works between two cam faces or guides 31 and 32; these being formed on a guide or shifting bar 33, which is pivoted to a bracket 34, on the door frame just between the Points of contact of the cam faces with the bar 30, one of such cam faces being on each side of the pivotal point of the shifting bar. The cam faces 31 and 32, turn away from the bar 30, in opposite directions. 35 are beveled projections on opposite sides of the bar 30, either one of which is adapted to bear against one of its cam faces, and in the moving of the bar, move such cam face and turn the shifting bar 34, in the same direction, throwing its outer or long end outward, and through the connection of the shifting bar with the door 4, by the link 36, such door will be opened and also the door 3. In this case as the others, the doors are closed by the flat spring 22.

It will be observed that the principle of the door operating device is the samein each plan illustrated-that is, a projection of some form connected directly or indirectly with the pressure strip 12, operates on a lever or shifting piece connected with the doors for opening the same when the cars come from one direction or the other. The trips are the same, the strip 12, is the same, the doors are the same, and the closing means the same.

It will be further observed that the door takes up but little space across the entry, and hence no cutting out of the walls of the entry is necessary. I

The pressure strip 12, holding the doors open after the car or cars operate the first trip, the trips need be set but ashort distance on each side of the door. The movement of the door shifting device is simple and positive, hence cannot fail to act, or get out of order; and lastly, the entire mechanism is above ground and not affected by dampness.

It is obvious that other changes maybe made in my device than herein mentioned, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a mine trap door, trip arms pivoted at a suitable distance at each side thereof, their ends in line with passing cars, a pressure strip lying above the track and connected with such trip arms, projections connected to said pressure strip, a shifting bar or lever, connected with the door and operated by such projections, whereby said door will be opened, on the passage of a car, and means for closing such door.

2. In a mine trap door, trip arms pivoted at a suitable distance at each side thereof, their ends lying in line with passing cars, a pressure strip lying above the track and connected with such arms, a guide carried by the pressure strip, and a pivoted lever, one of whose ends works in such guide and the other connected to the door, whereby on the shifting of the pressure strip through the movement of the trip arms, the door will be opened.

3. In a mine trap door, trip arms pivoted at asuitable distance at each side thereof, their ends lying in the path of passing cars, a pressure strip lying above the track and connected with such trip arms, a double guide carried by the pressure strip, a pivoted lever, one of whose ends works in such double guide, the other being connected to the door, whereby on the passage of a carin either direction, the door will be opened, and a spring connected with the pressure strip for closing said door.

4. Inamine trap door, trip arms pivoted at a suitable distance at each side thereof, their ends lying in the path of passing cars, a pressure strip lying above one of the rails and connected by links with such trip arms,a double guide carried by such pressure strip, a lever pivoted to the door frame, one of its ends provided with a roller working insuch guide, and the other connected with the door by a link, whereby on the passage of a car in either direction, the door will be opened, and means for closing said door.

5. In a mine trap door, doors hinged on each side of the track, and connected together to open and close simultaneously, trip arms pivoted to brackets at asuitable distance at each side of such doors, their ends lying in the path of passing cars, a pressure strip lying above and in line with one of the rails, and con nected by links with such trip arms, guides for such pressure strip, a double shifting guide carried by said pressure strip, a lever pivoted to a bracket at one side of the door frame, one end provided with a roller working in such guide, and theother connected with one of the doors by a link, whereby on the passage of a car, in either direction, the doors will be opened, and aspring connected with the door frame, and with a slot in the pressure bar, whereby the doors will be closed after the passage of a car.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HORATIO KEYES.

Witnesses:

CHARLES O. REICHERT, J AY H. KEYES. 

